November 21 Energy News

November 21, 2018

World:

¶ “Swedish Mining Equipment Manufacturer Will Be 100% Electric in 5 Years” • After its first generation electric mining vehicles logged 60,000 hours, Swedish mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc launched its second generation. It said it will electrify its entire lineup in the next 5 years, including some of the planet’s largest EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Epiroc mining equipment

¶ “Google Invests $700 Million in Danish Data Center, Secures Green Energy” • Google will invest almost $700 million in a Danish data center powered by the abundant green energy of the Nordic region. Google said it would sign a power purchase agreement for the new Danish data center to ensure it is powered by renewable energy. [Reuters]

¶ “E.ON To Build One of Europe’s Biggest Onshore Wind Farms in Sweden” • German energy company E.ON announced that it is set to build one of the largest onshore wind farms in Europe, the 475-MW Nysäter project in Sweden. German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex will supply 114 wind turbines, each of 3.9 MW to 4.4 MW. [CleanTechnica]

Swedish wind farm

¶ “Blue Shark Takes to African Tide” • French outfit Blue Shark Power System sealed a deal to provide 495 240-kW tidal turbines with a total capacity of 120 MW for projects in Djibouti. The company is carrying out preliminary studies and will test a turbine in a river in Djibouti next year. The first delivery of 80 turbines is planned for 2020. [reNEWS]

¶ “Clean Power ‘Engine’ Driving Enel Growth” • Enel is planning to add 11.6 GW of new renewables capacity between 2019 and 2021, as clean power becomes the Italian company’s “engine for industrial growth.” Enel plans to invest about €10.6 billion, to see renewables account for 62% of the its output by 2021, up from 48% in 2018. [reNEWS]

Wind farm in France (Enel image)

¶ “Renewables Made Up 48% of Welsh energy Use in 2017” • Almost half of Wales’ electricity last year came from renewable sources, a report said. The equivalent of 48% of the electricity used in 2017 came from renewable sources, up 5% from 2016. The Welsh Government has a goal to get 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. [BBC News]

¶ “Islands Ditching Diesel in Favor of Renewables” • Residents on two of Scotland’s remotest islands are celebrating securing a sustainable, 24-hour electricity supply, after years of living with diesel generators that shut down every night. The 55 inhabitants of Fair Isle and 15 on Canna are running on wind, solar, and energy storage. [pv magazine International]

PV system on the Scottish isle of Canna (Image: Wind & Sun)

¶ “EU Parliament Approves New Rules to Meet 2030 Renewable Energy Target” • The European Parliament signed off on new renewables and energy efficiency regulations, including the approval of a renewable energy target of at least 32% for 2030. The renewables target would be binding throughout the European Union. [AltEnergyMag]

¶ “Closure Urged After 350 cracks Found in Nuclear Reactor” • More than 350 cracks have been discovered in an ageing nuclear power reactor at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, breaching an agreed safety limit and prompting calls for a permanent shutdown. Experts have warned that the cracks could lead to a “catastrophic accident.” [The Ferret]

Hunterston (Photo: Thomas Nugent)

US:

¶ “New Governors May Bring Gigawatts of Renewable Additions Across America” • Democrats took seven governorships from Republicans. The results of those elections may open a path for higher renewable portfolio standards and gigawatts of solar and wind deployments, analysis from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables says. [Greentech Media]

¶ “Zinke Rips ‘Radical Environmental Groups’ over California Fires” • Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke put blame on “radical environmental groups” for the spreading California wildfires. He criticized “lawsuit after lawsuit by, yes, the radical environmental groups that would rather burn down the entire forest than cut a single tree or thin the forest.” [CNN]

California wildfire destruction

¶ “Boring Company Has a Breakthrough – Literally!” • On November 16, Elon Musk tweeted a video of the boring machine breaking through to the first station in a planned network of tunnels under Los Angeles. It is in a residential parking garage. The Boring Company plans to build a series of tunnels under Los Angeles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Goldman Shines for Engie in the US” • An investment by the Goldman Sachs’ Alternative Energy Investing Group will enable deployment of up to 75 MW of distributed solar-plus-battery systems across multiple US states. The deal also gives Engie a simplified way to raise long-term capital for future development of its US portfolio. [reNEWS]

Solar farm

¶ “Environmental Group Sues NorthWestern Energy, Regulators over Renewables” • A Montana environmental group is suing the state’s Public Service Commission and its largest utility company, claiming the PSC illegally gave NorthWestern Energy a pass on buying enough energy from Community Renewable Energy Projects. [MTPR]

¶ “Nuclear Subsidy Program Given Green Light by BPU” • The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a Zero Emission Credit program for nuclear power plants that will close within three years without financial help. It also approved an application process for nuclear plant owners and immediately opened the application window. [Press of Atlantic City]